Untitled Flashcard Set

Good Neighbor Policy

Foreign policy initiative enacted by FDR in 1933 emphasizing non-intervention and non-interference in the domestic affairs of Latin America. It marked a shift away from armed U.S. intervention, but was largely abandoned as Cold War security fears took priority after WWII.

United Fruit Company (UFCO)

Powerful U.S. corporation that dominated Latin American agriculture (especially bananas) and infrastructure. When Guatemalan President Árbenz attempted land reform affecting UFCO’s uncultivated land, UFCO lobbied the U.S. government, directly prompting the 1954 CIA-led coup.

Guatemalan Coup (1954)

CIA-orchestrated overthrow of democratically elected Guatemalan President Jacobo Árbenz after he implemented agrarian reform. Established a model for future U.S. Cold War covert operations in Latin America and installed a military dictatorship.

Cuban Revolution (1953–1959)

The successful armed revolt led by Fidel Castro and Che Guevara that ousted dictator Fulgencio Batista. Established the first communist state in the Western Hemisphere, inspiring revolutionary movements across Latin America and shifting U.S. foreign policy toward intense containment.

Bay of Pigs Invasion (1961)

A failed U.S.-sponsored invasion of Cuba by CIA-trained Cuban exiles aimed at overthrowing Fidel Castro. The humiliating defeat pushed Castro closer to the Soviet Union and set the stage for the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.

Operation Brother Sam (1964)

A U.S. covert plan to provide logistics, fuel, and naval support to the Brazilian military during the coup that ousted President João Goulart. Demonstrated U.S. willingness to support right-wing authoritarian military regimes to prevent leftist governments in South America.

Salvador Allende

Democratically elected socialist President of Chile (1970–1973). His nationalization of industries and economic reforms faced heavy U.S. covert opposition and economic sabotage, culminating in his death during General Augusto Pinochet's military coup on September 11, 1973.

Madres de Plaza de Mayo

An association of Argentine mothers who protested the disappearance of their children during Argentina's Dirty War. Wearing white headscarves, they held weekly demonstrations in Buenos Aires, becoming an international symbol of human rights resistance against military dictatorships.

Dirty War (Guerra Sucia, 1976–1983)

A period of state-sponsored terrorism in Argentina conducted by the military junta against political opponents, unionists, and dissidents. Resulted in an estimated 30,000 'disappeared' (desaparecidos) through illegal detention, torture, and death flights.

Liberation Theology

A Catholic movement in Latin America during the 1960s–1980s that interpreted Christian teachings through the lens of social justice, standing with the poor against political oppression and economic exploitation. It was often targeted by right-wing regimes as 'subversive.'

Oscar Romero

Archbishop of San Salvador who spoke out against poverty, social injustice, and state-sponsored violence during the prelude to the Salvadoran Civil War. He was assassinated in 1980 by a right-wing death squad while celebrating mass.

Sandinistas (FSLN)

Leftist revolutionary group in Nicaragua that overthrew the U.S.-backed Somoza dictatorship in 1979. During the 1980s, the Sandinista government fought the U.S.-funded Contra rebels during the Nicaraguan civil war.

Salvadoran Civil War (1979–1992)

A conflict between the military-led government of El Salvador and the leftist FMLN guerrilla coalition. The U.S. provided extensive financial and military backing to the Salvadoran government, despite widespread human rights abuses by government death squads.

Operation Condor (1970s)

A covert campaign of political repression and cross-border intelligence-sharing conducted by right-wing military dictatorships in South America (Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, Brazil) to track down and assassinate political dissidents. The U.S. provided technical, intelligence, and communication support.